In an article published in the Wednesday, March 28, 1934 issue of the Port Isabel Pilot featured a story about the HIstoric American Building Survey of four Valley landmarks including the lighthouse. The article reads as follows:

A historic survey of four of the Valley’s old landmarks has been recently been made under the auspices of the Historic American Building Survey. The buildings included in the survey were the old lighthouse at Port Isabel; the Carmen ranch house near Brownsville, and the old Davis home and Starr County Court House at Rio Grande City.

Barlett Cocke of San Antonio, architect and representative of the Building Survey, accompanied by an assistant, was in Port Isabel recently taking accurate measurements of the lighthouse and gathering all available data in connection with it, as well as making numerous photographs.

It is the purpose of the Historic American Building Survey to preserve for posterity, by recording in a graphic manner and by photography, before it is too late, the exact appearance of these buildings and their surroundings. The record is made as a form of insurance against loss as a contribution to the study of historic architecture.

Included in the data desired is the name of owner, occupant; date of present ownership’; name of previous owners; alterations during present ownership and names of architects, builders, with dates; date of original construction, with names of builders; architects, etc.; personages and events associated with it, during both previous and present occupancy and any other additional comment.